Signaling apparatus.



PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

W. E. VEASEY.

' SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Arme, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application led August 8, 1903. Serial No. 168,804.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, W'ILLiAM E. VnAsnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lewes, in the county of Sussex and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a signaling apparatus. l

. The object of the presentv invention is to improve the construction of signaling apparatus and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one of great strength and durability, designed for use both on land and sea, and adapted to display a fiag or set of flags in the most advantageous position for convenient reading by the party to whom the message is to be delivered.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signaling apparatus of this character adapted to display a flag or set of flags in any direction irrespective of the direction of the wind and capable of securely supporting the same to prevent the flags from being blown off their supports. y The invention also has for its object to enable the signals to be rapidly changed and to provide simple and effective means for quickly turning the apparatus to dis lay the signals in the desired direction and or positively locking the apparatus against accidental movement. l

Another object of the invention is to en'- able the apparatus to be conveniently supported by a mast, whereby it will be peculiarly adapted for use on vessels, and to enable such mast to be effectively supported when the apparatus is used on land.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists inl the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form,

proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a signaling apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, illustrating the manner of mounting the signaling apparatus when the same is used on land'. Fig. 4. is a detail view of one of the signal-frames. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates an upright mast designed, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, to have its lower portion supported by decks 2 and 3 when the apparatus is used on a vessel; but the mast may, as hereinafter explained, be arranged for use on land for signaling vessels at sea or for any other purpose. The lower end of the mast is step ed in a bearing-socket 4, secured to the ower deck 3 and provided with an annular series of antifriction-balls 5, arranged as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings; but any other desired arrangement of antifriction devices may be employed for this purpose. The bearing-socket is provided at its base with an outwardly-extending annular fiange 6, which is pierced by fastening devices for securing the socket to the deck. The mast is supported at a point above the upper deck 2 by a stand 7, consisting of a top portion 8 and legs 9, arranged at an inclination and secured to the upper deck 2 by suitable fastening devices 10, which also serve as the means for attaching braces 11, that extend between the decks. The braces 11, which support the upper deck adjacent to the mast, are secured at their lower ends to the lower deck 3, the terminals of the braces being angularly bent and perforated to form attaching portions.' The top of the stand is provided with a bearing-opening to receive the mast, and it has an annular series of antifriction-balls 12 arranged in a suitable ball race or groove of the top of the stand. The mast is provided with a sleeve 13, having a flange 14. arranged on the antifriction-balls 12 and adapted to sustain a portion of the weight of the mast to relieve the lower antifriction devices of severe pressure. The sleeve may be secured to the mast in any desired manner and the mast may be constructed of any desired material.

The sleeve 13 has mounted on it a horizontal gear-wheel 15, which meshes with a worm 16 of a shaft 17, and the latter is journaled in suitable bearings 18 of the top of the bracket and has its ends squared for the reception of crank-handles, whereby the shaft is adapted to be rotated to turn the mast for displaying the signals, hereinafter explained, in the de- IOO IIO

sired direction. By this construction the signals may be displayed to any point of the compass, and the apparatus is automatically locked in the desired adjustment by the worm-gear.

The mast is provided with upper and lower cross-bars 19 and 20, having bearing-arms 21 and 22 and adapted to support sprocketwheels 23 and 24, upon which endless sprocket-chains 25 are mounted. The bearing-arms of the upper cross-bar depend from the lower face of the same and are provided with bearing-openings for the reception of the spindles or shafts of the upper sprocketwheels 23. The arms 22 of the lower crossbar eXtend upward and are provided with bearing-openings for the reception of a shaft 26, which also passes through the mast. The shaft 26 is arranged horizontally, and the upper and lower bearing-arms are disposed at opposite sides of the sprocket-wheels. The endless sprocket-chains form halyards for the signals, hereinafter described, and the lower sprocket-wheels are rotated to actuate the sprocket-chains. The shaft 26 is provided with crank-handles 27'-, which may be readily transferred to the shaft 13, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, when it is desired to rotate the signaling apparatus on its vertical aXis.

The signals consist of flags 28, suitably secured at their edges to supporting-frames 29, which are provided with braces 30 for preventing the fiags from' being blown off the frames. The braces consist of wires arranged at intervals and suitably secured to the opposite sides of the frames, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. These frames are provided at their corners with eyes 31, into which are linked rings of snaphooks 32, and the latter are adapted to engage any of the links of the endless sprocketchains, whereby any of the signals may be quickly applied ,to and removed from the chains. The snap-hooks are arranged at the corners of the frame, and they enable the signal to beI rigidly held in position on the halyards. The frames, which may be constructed of any suitable material, are light, strong, and durable, and the open spaces between the wire braces permit the light to pass through the flags, whereby the signals may be seen and accurately read at great distances. It will of course be understood that under certain conditions the frames may be dispensed withy and the signal-'flags themselves be provided with the snap-hooks.

In order to prevent the signals from being blown away from the mast in heavy gales, the apparatus is provided with a series of rings 33, arranged to slide on the mast and provided with snap-hooks 34, adapted to engage eyes 35 at the bottom of the frame, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. Any number of rings may be provided, and when the rings are attached to the signal at one side of the mast the signals at the opposite side are left free, whereby the signals will not interfere with the movements of each other. One set of signals may be displayed by one of the flights or runs of the endless sprocket-chains and another set of signals can be applied to the other flight or run of the sprocket-chains, so that when the first set of signals is lowered the second set will be raised. In order to prevent the sprocket-chains from accidentally moving under the weight of a set of signals, the shaft 26 may be provided with a pawl and ratchet or any other suitable device for locking it against accidental rotation in either direction, and as such devices are well understood in the art illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

When the signaling apparatus is used on land, the lower portion of the mast is arranged in a suitable tubular casing 35a, provided at its lower end with a bearing-socket 36, having antifriction devices 37, and the upper end of the tubular casing is embedded in a slab or foundation 38, of cement, artificial stone, or analogous material, whereby the casing is firmly anchored and supported in the ground. The stand 39, which is constructed like that heretofore described, is se- 9 5 cured to the base or foundation 38 by bolts or fastening devices 40, embedded in the cement or other material of which the base or foundation is constructed. 4

It will be seen that the signaling apparatus is simple, strong, and durable, and at the same time is light and inexpensive, that it is especially adapted for use on vessels, and that it may be advantageously employed on land. Furthermore, it will be clear that the flags are eifectually prevented from fluttering and are securely supported in proper position, and that the apparatus may bel quickly rotated to turn the flags to the desired direction, and that the said apparatus is automatically locked in such position by the wormgearing. The signals, which are directly applied to the endless chains, may be quickly interlocked with the links of the latter and can be rapidly moved, and a large number of signals may be compactly arranged and conveniently handled. It will be understood that when it is desired to signal at night colored lanterns may be readily hung on the chains by snap-hooks or other suitable means.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the class described, provided with a central mast, endless halyards located at opposite sides of the mast, a fabric signal provided with a marginal supportingframe having braces extending across the frame at intervals, and means carried by the ICO IIO

frame for detachably engaging thehalyards, substantially as described.

2. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of a mast, endless halyards located at opposite sides of the mast and supported by the same, a ring slidable on the mast, a signal, and means for connecting the signal With the ring and With the halyards, substantially as described,

3. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of a central mast, endless halyards carried by the mast and supported at opposite sides ofthe same, a signal, means forslidably connecting the signal at an intermediate point thereof With thev mast, and separate means for securing rigidly but detachably the ends of said signal to the halyards, substantially as described.

4. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of a mast, upright sprocket-chains located at opposite sides of the mast and carried by the same, rings slidable on the mast, signals, and devices for detachably connecting the signals With the sprocket-chains and with the rings, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILLIAM E. VEASEY.

Witnesses:

DELBERT L. PALMER, ROWLAND H. BREWER. 

